Studying Suttas.
 

When studying suttas, where does one start and how does progress or navigate through?
Other than the internet could you recommend a written source.
I assume tradition is irrelevant as suttas are the words of The Buddha?
With gratitude
Gary

Hi Gary,

It's a good idea to start with the suttas in the Pali Canon (Theravada). It's debateable whether some of the Mahayana sutras written later were the actual words of the Buddha. Particularly in the case of those said to have been hidden in 'dragon realms' or spoken by deities whilst the Buddha was in meditation and so on.

You might like to start with the Anguttara Nikaya and there's an Anguttara Nikaya Anthology translated by Nyanaponika Thera and Bhikkhu Bodhi which is in paperback.

After doing some reading online at the Access to Insight website, offline I started reading The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - a translation of the Majjhima Nikaya by Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi - which is a fat hardback. (Wisdom Books is a good place in the UK and you can order by phone if you prefer.)

....but I already knew quite a few things about Buddhism before I started reading them.

http://www.wisdom-books.com/SiteSear...=2&Submit=+Go+


However I would wait to see if Stuka or Sobeh or clw-uk have any suggestions because they're more knowledgeable about the Pali Canon than I am.....and Element of course, who's done extensive sutta studies.


Oops, Andy and I must have posted at the same time !

Hi, Gary,

I would recommend the Samyutta Nikaya, the "Connected Discourses". It comes as a two-volume set, and the discourses (suttas) are organized according to themes, much more than any other collection of discourses.

http://www.amazon.com/Connected-Disc...3054306&sr=1-1




Majjhima Nikaya, the "Middle-Length Discourses", translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, with some editing and notations by Bhikkhu Bodhi.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Middle-Length-Sa...item3f02955e6f


I have seen a couple of the anthologies, and they seem to tend to cherry-pick somewhat in order to steer the reader toward the editor's view, which often does not necessarily reflect the Buddha's own teachings. I prefer to "hear it from the horse's mouth" -- and that would be the two sets I recommend.

Thanks for the replies, I much prefer to re ad from books rather than a pc screen.
With gratitude
Gary

In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon by Bhikkhu Bodhi, without a doubt.

In the Buddha's Wordsallows even readers unacquainted with Buddhism to grasp the significance of the Buddha's contributions to our world heritage. Taken as a whole, these texts bear eloquent testimony to the breadth and intelligence of the Buddha's teachings, and point the way to an ancient yet ever-vital path. Students and seekers alike will find this systematic presentation indispensable. http://www.wisdompubs.org/pages/disp...?-KeyValue=104

Me too... as I am not a internet geek I relly dislike ebooks...

Me too... as I am not a internet geek I relly dislike ebooks... have you tried i-pad?

No, never Jan... http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/read.gif

I'd rather paper pages and a bookmark.

http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/wink.gif

I like having both to hand. I have heard that there is an electronic version of Nanamoli's MLDB out there, and would like very much to have one if there is, especially if it is searchable, which would be very helpful for finding various teachings quickly without having to always rely on memory. Same for the AN and SN....

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of "An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon" by Bhikkhu Bodhi http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/wink.gif

Great that you're going to be making a start on the suttas, Gary, Enjoy ! http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/grin.gif

I am thinking in getting the book too Gary... sounds a good one. Maybe we can have a thread to comment it.

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Gary, allow me to also recommend "Buddhadhamma: Natural Law and Values for Life" by Phra Prayudh A Payutto:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Buddhadhamma...item58856d49db

Excerpts from this excellent book are available at:

http://www.buddhanet.net/cmdsg/payutto.htm

The link to the excerpts is also included in 'More resources' which I just recently added

to our 'Study Links' section http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/grin.gif

Thanks stuka I've added that one to my Amazon wish list.

Sounds like a great idea Kaarine, I've also just got Zen Mind, Beginners Mind (Informal talks on Zen meditation and practice) by Shunryu Suzuki which seems to be highly recommended, have you come across that one before?

Thanks Aloka-D. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/hands.gif

Shunryu Suzuki is an excellent teacher... with a wonderfull direct understanding. I have not read Zen Mind, Beginners Mind but Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness about Sekito Kisen, an important Zen Ancestor...

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Well I've got through the various introductions of "In the Buddha's Words" without to much problem and I'm about to crack on with the first chapter "The Human Condition". I'm actuallly excited about reading it and seeing how much of it I can actually understand.
Regards
Gary http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/coffee.gif

Please enjoy.

This book is arranged as a gradual teaching, from start to end.

Warm regards

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